Beam adjusting means



Jan. 31, 1933. F ARBUC'KLE 1,895,906

BEAM ADJUSTING MEANS Original Filed May 7, 1927 gwuwnto'a auto; mg

V Patented Jan. 31 1933 f This inventionrelates to a means for ad-f 1111mm sr-Arss f PATENT OFFICE? 1 smu'nnr. ARBUCK or HIGHLAND PARK, MICHIGAN, AssIGiTo'I't 'ro MONOGRAII;

Bruin- ADJUSTING r riivsconrortarrdmior nn'rnorr, irromeamn conrom'rron or DELAWARE original a uation mea ma 7, 1927, Serial No. 189,483.' i Divided andfthis application flled-Iebruary 10,- 1 1930. Seria1No.427,343. m

justing the angle of the beams ofheadlights for automobilesand more partlcularly to that t pe of headlight which comprises a main ,re-

ector" and a supplementary reflector which is placed adj acentthe light source in order to prevent certain light'raysfrom being projected. upwardly, and is a division of Patent No. 1,748,057, granted February 25, 1930.

In replacing an electric light bulb in a headlight, it is often found that due to the tolerance in the manufacture of the light bulbs the filament of the new bulb will not fall at exactly the same place which was occupied by the filament of the old bulb with the result that the beam produced by the new bulb has a slightly different inclination from thehorizontal than that produced by the old. This will often cause the two beams projected by a pair of automobile headlightsto be directed at an angle verticallywith respect to each other, andthis not only produces a, poor appearance but may also cause considerable annoyance and even danger to pedestrians and drivers of other cars. r V v It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a means bywhich the angle of the beam maybe changed sothat the two headlights will project beamsat the same angle without disturbing the other adjustments of i the headlight.

Another object of the invention is to pr0- vide a means to support the main reflector in a headlight so that the reflectormay be tilted in order to changeithe direction of the beam projected thereby.

Another'object oftheinvention isto vide means to removably support the supplementary reflector upon the main reflector so that the relation between the two reflectors is fixed H I. t

Another object of the invention is to sup port a supplementary reflector in such a position with respect to atwo filament bulb that the light-rays from one filament projected by thereflector willnot be intercepted by the other filament regardless of variations in the position of the filaments due to adjustment of the bulb and a manufacturing tolerances thereof.-

' Other objects of the invention andiobjects relating to. methods of construction and;

economies of manufacture will be apparent.

as the description proceeds.

Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of a'detail; V

of theiheadlight shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a. sectional front View taken on the line'33 of Figure 1; v v '1 Figure 4 is another embodiment. of the supporting "means for 1 the supplementary re.- fiector shown in Figures land 3; j

Figurefiis a detail view showing the mank ner of attaching the support to the supplementary reflector shown in Figure 4. j v 3 One construction embodying my invention is illustrated in Figurel in which a headlight is shown comprising a casing 10, the openend of which is closed by a lens 11 which is retained-.inposition by asuitable rim 12. A

parabolic reflector 13 is supported at opposite sides thereof in the casing 10. This is accom- 3 plished by providing two thin strips or arms of metal 14, one at each side of the. reflector l3 and adapted ,to' seat in recesses 15 formed in the sides of the casing 10. The arms 14 may be formed integral with the edgeof the reflector as shown, or they may be attached to the reflector in any desired manner, suchas by welding. The depressions 15 maybe formed, as shown in Figure 2, or'zthey. may

be slots cut through the .wall of the casing, The reflector 13-with the arms, ltattached thereto may be forced into the casing, the arms bending slightly until they coincide with the be drilled and threaded to receive thescrew V 17 which passes through ahole in the casing and the head of which remains outside of the casing A portion of the casing maybe raised,

andthecasing to urgethe top of, the reflectorforward and keep the head 1 of the" screw against-the surface of thecasing; 1 I A supplementary reflector 20 is rigidly p reflector 13 i I as at 18, to provide a flat bearing surface for the head of the screw 17 A spring 19 may be provided around the screw between the arm 16 sitionedwith respect to the main in the following manner I v f A hin narrow strip 21 of metal is attached to the supplementary reflector in any desired manner, as by soldering. VThe ends of this strip 'ariemade' slightly narrower than the strip itself to form shoulders 22 and the re flector 13 is provided with a plurality of slots 2 3"which are adapted to engage the ends of i the-strip 21. The slots23 are just long enough to permit the extreme ends of the strip 21 X to pass therethrough,but not long enough to 20 permit the shoulders 22to pass through, and therefore the strip 21 and attached reflector 20 will be held rig-idly in position whenthe ends'of the strip 21 are inserted in the slots 23 in the reflector 13.-*Th'e distance between the ends of the strip normally slightly greater than the-distancebetween the slots in the main reflector so that in order toplacethe ends of the strip 21 in the slots 23, it will be necessary to slightly'bow 'the'strip 21 which maintains the same slightly deformed when placed inposition. The reflector 20 may be easily removed in order to replace the bulb 27 by grasping the strip 21 at the ,top,for in-,

with respect to the reflector 20, andthat the 7 slots 23 are not equi-distant from the center of the'main reflector. Bythis means, it is imobtained by providing one end of the'strip narrower than theother as indicated in Fig ure3.'.

'possible'to place the supplementary reflector in the main reflector in any but the right position. If desired however, this result may be --If twoffilaments are used andthe center of ;the' supplementary reflector is positioned midwayhetween-them,one of the filaments will. intercept rays projectedby the other filament because of the angle atfwhich they:

a strike thesupplementary reflector with the result that the effect of the supplementary reflector is almost if not entirely destroyed.

From the above, it will be seen that with the center of curvature of the-supplementary reflector approximately in the focal' plane of the main reflector,light reflected from the supplementary reflector will be reflected downwardly by the'mainreflector if the light source is in the focal plane and below the center of curvature of the supplementary re flector, Whll6,0l1 the other hand-,if the light -main reflector.

source is above the center of curvature of the supplementary reflector, certain light rays will be reflected upwardly from the In the latter case, a glare will be produced and it is one of; the features g 7 of-this invention toprovide a means to adjust the beam produced by the headlight so that it will be impossible to place the light fila-, ment above the center "of curvaturefoffjthe supplementary reflector, and hence eliminate;- the possibility of producing a glare or, where two filaments are used, the llght projected by either filament being intercepted; by the other; 7 r c- The desired result may be accomplished in several ways first, by mountingthe main reflector, the supplementary; reflector, and, 1

the light bulb in fixed" relation" with each other, and provide means to-tilt all three, in order to change the anglej off the beam second,-to mount the two reflectors infixed" relation with each other andprovide-meane tomove the light source so that the beam may be tilted, the tiltingmeansbeing provided with a. positive stop which will preventthe, light source from moving higher -than-the centerof curvature of thesupplementary reflector; third, the supplementary reflector and light bulb may be fixed with respect to each other and a means providedto tilt the bulb together with the supplementary;

reflector with respect to the main reflector, and it mightalso be accomplished by fixing reflector.

'In Figures land 5, place of the strip 21 tosupport the supplementaryreflector 20, I have shown a wire 24. This wire maybe any strong springy wire, such as pianowire,'

.the supplementary reflector with respect to the casing and tilting the bulb and main and-may be bent in such a way as tofform shoulders, 22" at the ends thereof; similar to 1 the shoulders 22shown onthe strip 21. The reflect'or 20 may have tongues 25. integralwith the sides thereofwhich may-be bent wire.

around the wire to attach the reflector to the A socket 26 is rigidly mountedjin there. 7

flector 13, and is adapted to receive a light V. an}

bulb 27- injthe usual manner. I I l Inthis embodiment ofthe' invention, if it is desired to changethe angle of the' beam projected fromthe-headlight, it is only nee essarytoturnthescrew 17 with anscr ewdriver or coin, whereupon the main reflector, light bulb, and the. supplementary reflector will all tilt together and the beam will be tilted without changing the relation between the reflectorsand the bulb.

The bulb 27 is shown in the having the envelope centeredab'out the upper filament. This is for the purpose of prevent ing internal reflection from the inner surface of theenvelopewhe'nthat filament is energized. This internal reflection from the upper filament would otherwise cause some of the projected rays to be directed upwardly, thus causing glare. The internal reflection from the lower filament is directed downwardly from the sensitive part of the reflector and hence is not objectionable.

It is possible by positioning the supplementary reflector with its center either slightly behind or in front of the focal plane to diminish or increase the spread of the beam produced thereby so that the light of the main reflector may be supplemented as desired.

It will be noted that no means for axially adjusting the bulb with respect to the reflector is shown, and'it is intended to render filament bulb, and while the invention is particularlyadapted for use with a head light adapted to project either of two beams for 'dilferent conditions of driving, I desire to have it understood that the invention is applicable also to a headlight which uses a single filament bulb. It will be evident from the above description that I have illustrated and described one 'method by which a headlight may be constructed so that the angle of the beam may be adjusted without producing any bad effects from changing the relation between the various parts, and although I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, many changes in construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of'the invention; I desire it to be understood, therefore, that my invention is not limited to any specific form or arrangement of parts except insofar as such limitations are specified in the claim. 7 c

Having thus described I claim is:

In a headlight, a casing; a main reflector; a light source; a plurality of resilient arms attached to said reflector, said casinghaving a plurality of depressions to receive the ends of said arms, whereby said reflector is supported in said casing; a supplementary reflector positioned adjacent said light source;

my invention, what a plurality of resilient arms attached to said a supplementary reflector, said main reflector having a plurality of grooves adapted to receive the ends of said arms, whereby said supplementary reflector is positioned with respect to said light source and said main reflector; and means to tilt said main reflector with respect to said casing.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

SAMUEL F, ARBUCKLE. 

